Telegram-herald., 1887-08-10
GONE UP IN SMOKE
YssTEsoArs DISASTROUS FIRES
The fsessry Of the valley city n.aaf~s-
tsri1x COMPANY several storsheasss
AID kixa Dwellings, barasa te the
Groand-Lsss sso, ,oos.

Il has been some tine since Grand
Rapids was Waited sy . disastrous IRE.
The pfeseat long continued drouth Las set
every one oa the alert. knowing fall well
that win everything psrcAed and dry as il
=. ana the scarcity Of the water supply in
some sections. that the appearance Of fire
meant large losses The nremen too have
exercised unusual caution and the appara-
tns has been kept in readiness for an emer-
gsncy.
Ats o'clock last evening flames burst
from the north side of the factory of the
Valley City Manufacturing Company. at
the corner OF Taylor and eqeen-sis. An
alarm was sounced from box II, Al Withey ;
mill. but the names spread - rapidly that
the entire structure MAS soon enyeloped in
danes, and on the arrival OF the FIRE depart
ment they bent their energies 10
saving the surrounding proper
". Those who were first on
the spot say TINT within minute after the
flames burst from the factory the entire
upper part of the building was sblsze. 80
rapid was the course OF the fire that the
employees OF the company saved neither
their clothes or tools and barely escaped
with their lives
Across Queen-st.. on the north is the
office OF l.. Z. Butts. treasurer and man
ager of the Grand Rapids Excelsior
Company. Mr.. Butts was Ia his
orice at the time, and when
the flames burst out he put his books in
The safe. He had Just tine TO lock the
door of the safe when his building was
ignited aud be made bis escape leaving be-
hind him his coat and the money which he
bad placed on the safe 10 meet the COM
psny pay roll. A portion of the finance
was IN checks. about 500 in currency and
similar amount In silver. The latter
was taken from the ruins melt
ed into one large heap, but
the ashes of the greenbacks had mingled
with the debris.
Flames from Butts Office and the factory
spread 10 the storehouse of the Excelsior
factory and il with its contents was soon
ablaze. The sheds east OF the planning mill
were soon ablaze and the little breeze
which had sprung up drove the fire in a
southeasterly direction.
In the rear of the sheds on Queen-st,
was three dwellings. The first was
unoccupied. and the second one occupied
by Alonzo Decker. His loss will amount
to $500 on furniture. The building was
owned by K. u. Mathews, whose loss will
be $500. The vacant house was owned by
was valued at $500, and insured for 500 In
the ST. Paul Mutual.
Adjoining the mill on the east was a
two-story building owned by Mrs. Gov ell of
Rochester, n. y. lt was occupied bv Vim.
a. Kelly. He saved portion oil his house
hold effects. his loss being in the vicinity
of $500. Adjoining this building On the
south was the building occupied by A.
Brinck. He saved al his household goods
IL.
the roof. This dwelling was owned by Mrs
Coyill. Her loss will be about 81 900 on
the two houses, on which there is small
insurance.
On the alley between Queen and Quimby-
SITS. were three dwellings In the
rear of the Coyell houses was story and a
half dwelling owned and occupied by Will
lam Thompson. None of his household
effects were saved ana be estimates his loss
at $500. with no insurance. On the east
were two dwellings, whose occupants lost
everything. The buildings were owned by
X. q. Mathews, and were valued at $1,000
on which there was = small insurance The
dwelling OF John Collins. east of the Decker
house, was damaged about 500.
The factory OF the Valley City Manufac-
turing Company formerly belonged to l.. H.
Withey and r. b. Woodcock, and was pur-
chased By a stock company, the members
OF which were largely working people. The
career OF the company up to lew months
ago was a checkered one. but since that
time they have been doing q fairly re-
muneratiye business in the manufacture
of mouldings, door and window
estimate their loss at $l4 coo. on which they
carried an insurance of $500 payable to
Messrs. Withey & Woodcock, the mort
gsgeeS. The insurance is in what is known
as non-compact companies-the Hope, the
Star ard the Oshkosh Mutual The loss
will fall heavily on the stockholders and
they will probably not rebuild. The stock
was held by J. III. Martin, John Dupree, Ii.
A. Ruhlman. John Caikins. W. f. Lam
eraux, q. KOsenboom, Joshua Burrows.
John Burrows, ID. T.. Corbett, j. Kruger
and d. d. Cody. The firm employed fifteen
hands.
The fire is supposed TO have originated in
the engine room on the north side The
factory. The door of the furnace was care
lessly left open and fire dropping out COM
municated with the sawdust used for fuel.
The Excelsior Company's loss Oh stock is
about $500 and on buildings $500; partially
insured
Within twenty minutes after the alarm
sounded the mill, stOrehOuses and wellin-s
enumerated above were in flames. So ter
ribe was the heat that the fremen were
compelled TO keep shifting the hose TO keep
them from burning -Four streams were
on the tire. out the firemen from No
could do nothing until the arrival OF the
engine, as the water could not be
forced through the hose as there
was no pressure. The pipes used
In this part Of the city are Of the Old Wy
cOff kind what IL now fsmilisrly known
as the ieaky wooden pipe. IL is in such
bad condition that water cannot be forced
through IT, and to this fact must the spread
Of the fire be attributed When the fire.
men were enabled 20 work they rendered
excellent service in saving the adjoining
property. and thus preventing what might
have been a most dl.astraIls connarratlnrl